A cat stepmom? (OUAH)
by J-Farraday
Summary: Gaster just started a peaceful life with his girlfriend Patty and his two adoptive children. But when the twins' biological mother, Noelle, finds out about Gaster's girlfriend, she's not sure she likes it that she lives with them. Noelle fears that Patty might not be the best influence for her children… or is it for another reason? (Sequel to my "Once Upon A Handplate" story.)


**This one-shot takes place two weeks after the finale of my "Once Upon A Handplate" story. For those who haven't ready it will most likely be confused. But basically, this is my AU for "Handplates". It's a post-pacifist timeline. Gaster has never been erased and is now good again. (He's never been "evil" in the first place, but you get what I mean. ^^") Though, he's been put under electronic supervision as punishement for his crimes. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own "Undertale" or its characters. This version of Gaster belongs to Zarla. I just own Noelle, Sam, Piper and Patty. **

* * *

Noelle was in a jovial mood when she walked in the direction of Gaster's house. She and her children, Sam and Piper, would go to the city to play bowling together. Noelle loved going on trips to the city to spend time together by doing activities such as ice skating, swimming in the pool, or simply going to the cinema. Those moments were enjoyable for the three of them, and made them feel like a normal family, as though things have never been otherwise. A smile played on Noelle's lips at the thought. Soon, she reached the porch of the house and knocked on the door. Noelle expected Gaster or one of the kids to open the door, but what was her surprise when the open door revealed a person she didn't know! It was a cat monster, having a friendly smile on her face. Noelle gave her a surprised and curious look, and after a short silence she spoke awkwardly.  
"Uhh… H-Hello? I came to pick Sam and Piper… for our trip to the city."  
"Right, they mentioned about having a trip planned with their mom!" - Patty quickly understood, opening the door wider to allow Noelle in - "So you must be Noelle?"  
"Yes... That's me." - Noelle said with a small nod.  
Sam and Piper, who were watching tv in the living room quickly switched it off and walked up to their mother, ready to go. Noelle greeted them with a gesture and gave them a look, as though trying to wordlessly ask them who the cat person was. The kids caught her confusion, but didn't have the time to clarify the situation, as Patty said:  
"It's so nice to meet you for real! The kids told me so much about you!"  
"Really..? And they didn't tell me anything about you…" - Noelle replied awkwardly, giving her children a reproaching look.  
"Mom, this is Patty." - Piper introduced the cat woman to her mother.  
"And she uh… lives here." - Sam added, not sure if he should be the one to inform Noelle about the situation.  
"Lives here?" - Noelle's eyes rounded in surprise, then looked at Patty - "Oh, you must be renting a room or something? I never thought Gaster was the kind to lease a room. On the other hand, considering he mostly depends on the Dreemurrs due to his supervision…"  
"Oh no, I'm not a tenant!" - Patty said with an amused giggle - "I'm Gaster's girlfriend!"  
Those words made Noelle freeze at once. She had a stunned expression on her face and it took her a few moments to process what Patty just said. Did she hear correctly?  
"Girlfriend..?" - she muttered.  
"Yes, Gaster and I are together." - Patty confirmed with a smile and a faint blush.  
"Wait, wait… Like… for __real__? For really real?" - Noelle asked, a part of her clearly still not quite believing it - "You and him are in a... romantic relationship..?"  
"Yes, Mom. Dad and Patty are really a couple." - Sam confirmed.  
"...Wow. It's kinda… unexpected." - Noelle said as she progressively recovered from her mild shock - "I mean, Gaster falling in love? Who would've thought! But life's full of surprises, I suppose…"  
Noelle then looked down at her children and asked:  
"But why didn't you two tell me anything about it sooner..?"  
"Sorry..?" - Piper replied with a shrug.  
"Oh, don't blame them. I think they didn't tell anything because Gaster's still a bit shy about all this." - Patty explained with a smile - "After all, our relationship's pretty young."  
"Exactly. I still have the right for some privacy." - Gaster said, going out of his study.  
"Good afternoon, Dr Gaster…" - Noelle said with a slightly embarrassed look - "Yes, of course you have your right for privacy. I'd just like to know when new people live with my children."  
"Well, now you know, don't you?" - Gaster replied casually.  
"Yeah... So, for how long are you two..?" - Noelle felt too awkward to finish the question, so she moved her finger in the air from one to the other person in a binding manner.  
"Patty and I are… together for a week and a half." - Gaster answered, averting his gaze a little when saying the word "together".  
"And... for how long do you know each other? How did you meet?" - Noelle asked, getting curious.  
"I know Patty for about a month now." - Gaster answered the first question.  
He wasn't sure if he should answer the second question. Gaster wasn't ashamed of Patty, nor of the circumstances of their meeting. He just feared that Noelle could react negatively. Patty, however, saw zero problem in telling things how they were, so she answered without any trace of shame.  
"Gaster and I met at the hospital, when he was amnesic." - she said - "We were neighbors, his room was right next to mine. The day he was placed in the departement, I immediately wanted to get acquainted with him! And from the next day, we kept spending some time together at the common living room and… feelings just grew."  
"Yes, that's… basically how things happened." - Gaster confirmed, his signing a little shaky in nervousness.  
"...O...kay…" - Noelle breathed out, getting speechless for a moment - "Gaster, can I... have a word with you for a moment, please?"  
Gaster nodded, though the lack of enthousiasm was obvious in his look. Patty didn't notice anything wrong, so she just smiled and squeezed Gaster's arm (in a way to tell that she'd give him some space for a private talk) before going to sit down on the couch. Sam and Piper joined her, while Gaster gently dragged Noelle in the kitchen, where they wouldn't be heard. After Noelle gave one last glance in the direction of her children and the cat monster, she asked Gaster:  
"Okay, so… you're dating a mentally ill person? What the heck were you thinking?"  
"I know how it sounds like." - Gaster stated - "But I assure you that Patty is a very nice person and her illness doesn't have any negative consequences on our daily life. She doesn't represent a danger towards anyone."  
"What does her illness consist in?" - Noelle asked - "And how severe is it?"  
"Sometimes, she'd go through phases when she'd confound reality and fantasy." - Gaster answered, eliciting a look of disbelief from Noelle - "But she's daily taking pills. As long as she does, those phases won't happen."  
"Did you even think about our children?" - Noelle asked, shaking her head a little - "You don't even know her for that long, and-"  
"The time we got to know each other was enough for me to trust her." - Gaster interrupted her calmly - "If I had doubts regarding Patty, I wouldn't have welcomed her in my house. But I know she won't ever hurt Sam and Piper. She adores them! And the kids are warming up to her."  
Both Gaster and Noelle glanced in the living room again. Patty and the twins had resumed watching the movie they've been watching before Noelle's arrival. The three were discussing a scene and they shared smiles. Sam's one comment about something even elicited an amused giggle from Patty. Noelle could see that they were getting along, yet she didn't feel exactly alright about the situation. She turned her head to Gaster, who said:  
"Patty is somebody special. When my amnesia had reverted me to the emotionally distant man I once was, she could make me be a better person. Around her, I can open up more than I ever could around anyone. Patty made me not approach things too radically, and… she's also a great artist!"  
Gaster had a light smile on his face as he described the woman he now shared his daily life with. Noelle had an incredulous look on her face, seeing Gaster so filled with positivity being quite unusual.  
"You really are in love with her, aren't you?" - she said, this being more a statement than a question.  
"...The __point__ is…" - Gaster blushed a little - "...that there's nothing for you to worry about Patty. You can trust my judgement."  
Noelle raised an eyebrow at the last part. Gaster sighed, and said:  
"I know that my judgement may be questionable at times. But you can trust me when I say the children are fine around Patty."  
"...Alright." - Noelle replied with a light nod.  
"Good. Now, I believe you and the kids had plans?" - Gaster reminded her - "Where are you going today?"  
"The kids and I are going to play bowling in the city." - Noelle answered with a light smile.  
"I've never been into such activities, but I know you three will have fun." - Gaster said as he and Noelle went out of the kitchen back in the living room.  
Patty, Sam and Piper turned their heads, and the kids knew it was time to go. Patty then turned off the tv and said with her characteristic gentle smile:  
"We'll finish watching the movie when you return, kids."  
"Yay! I can't wait to see your reacting to the ending!" - Piper commented - "It's so awesome and unexpected, you'll surely adore!"  
"So don't watch it without us." - Sam requested - "Or I'll get mad at you."  
"No, no, there's no need to get mad!" - Patty then dramatically put her right hand over her heart - "I solemnly swear that I won't watch the rest of the movie until you return from your trip! And shame on me if I dare to touch the remote!"  
Noelle almost chuckled. She could tell that Patty had a funny personality. But then, Noelle felt some not very pleasant feeling when Patty playfully ruffled the kids' hair, eliciting a small giggle from Piper.  
"Have fun in the city." - the cat monster said.  
"We sure will!" - Sam replied, walking up to his mother.  
"Have a nice day too, Patty." - Piper said, before standing next to her mom and brother - "And you too, Dad."  
Gaster smiled in response, before giving a quick hug to his daughter and gently rubbing his son's shoulder. When Noelle and the twins left the house, Gaster stood in the middle of the living room with a pensive look. Patty noticed his exression, so she asked with concern:  
"Something's wrong?"  
"...No. No, don't worry." - Gaster replied, lightly shaking his head - "Just some thoughts running through my mind. You know, it's not unusual for a genius like myself."  
"Trying to get away with the anwser by boasting?" - Patty asked, but without sounding annoyed - "Come on, tell me what's bugging you."  
"To be honest, I wonder how Noelle's taking the news of that change in our life."

Gaster's concern wasn't unjustified, actually. Noelle had spent an excellent day with her children. Yet every once in a while, the thought of the cat monster did sneak into her mind. Patty was nice, but for some reason Noelle felt bothered, in a way. In the evening, when she returned home from the city, she told about her discovery to her parents. To her surprise, Papyrus and Frisk already knew that Gaster had a girlfriend.  
"APPARENTLY, HE INTRODUCED HER TO ASGORE AND TORIEL A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO."  
"So of course, Mom told me about it on the phone the next day." - Frisk added.  
"But why didn't you tell me?" - Noelle asked with bewildrement - "Gaster has a girlfriend, and I'm the last to find out!"  
Sans, who had just returned home with a ketchup bottle, started to cough violently when he heard the last part. After wiping away some ketchup from his mouth, Sans asked the family with round eyes:  
"wait, gaster has a __girlfriend__?"  
"...Fine, the _**_pre_**_-last to find out." - Noelle corrected her latest statement.  
"Sorry. We assumed that you already knew." - Frisk replied.  
"you're all serious now? gaster's actually dating someone?" - Sans asked, his gaze going from one person to another.  
"YES SANS, HE DOES." - Papyrus confrimed.  
"...naaah, you're messing with me, right?" - Sans said, not sure if he should believe them or not - "come on, gaster in love? please."  
"We're not joking, it's true." - Noelle said with a sigh - "Trust me, I was as shocked as you are now."  
"no way…" - Sans breathed out, letting himself fall on the couch.  
"Anyway." - Noelle turned back to her parents - "Patty lives with Gaster and the kids, and this makes me concerned."  
"CONCERNED? WHY?" - Papyrus asked.  
Noelle told her parents what she knew about Patty's insanity, and that the psych ward was where Gaster and Patty met. Papyrus and Frisk grew pensive for a moment, and Sans couldn't help but make a snarky remark about the situation.  
"heh, i guess one can't be truly sane to fall for gaster."  
"SANS, THIS ISN'T FUNNY." - Papyrus gave his brother a stern look.  
"wasn't supposed to be. did you hear me tell a pun?"  
Ignoring this not very appropriate exchange, Frisk then asked Noelle if there was anything in Patty's behaviour regarding the kids that alarmed her.  
"No, she's actually nice to them. Patty is smiling and friendly. The kids seem to like her." - Noelle replied - "And she's positively affecting Gaster. When he described her traits to me, I've never seen him so relaxed."  
"THEN GIVE HER A CHANCE, NOELLE." - Papyrus instructed his daughter - "IF SHE'S AS GOOD AS YOU DESCRIBE HER, SHE CERTAINLY IS NOT A THREAT TO THE KIDS!"  
"But... aren't you guys concerned she's from the psychiatry ward? What if she doesn't properly follow her treatement and enters one of those weird phases? Who knows what danger Sam and Piper could be exposed to!" - Noelle replied - "I just think that letting her around the children maybe isn't a so good idea…"  
"YOU MUSTN'T JUDGE HER JUST BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN A MENTAL PATIENT. WHAT TRULY DEFINES HER IS HER PERSONALITY." - Papyrus said - "WHAT TRULY MATTERS IS THAT SHE'S A GOOD PERSON. AND I AM PRETTY SURE SHE IS!"  
"I'm not 'judging' her, I'm just concerned for my children's safety. I'm their mother, it's normal for me to be cautious."  
"Are you sure their safety's the __only__ reason?" - Frisk asked, slightly narrowing her eyes.  
"...Yes? I mean, what other reasons could I have?"  
"Maybe you're just jealous that the kids have another woman they can get close to?" - Frisk suggested.  
"What…? Nah, I'm totally fine about that!" - Noelle replied with a smile, though it was a bit forced.  
"you definitely aren't." - Sans commented from the couch, looking at Noelle with his good eye.  
"I am, and don't try speaking up my feelings that you can't quite catch." - Noelle replied, crossing her arms.  
"WHETHER YOU'RE JEALOUS OR NOT, PLEASE DON'T DO ANYTHING UNREASONABLE." - Papyrus advised - "YOU ALREADY GOT CARRIED AWAY FOR THE SAME REASON ONCE."  
"And we remember how it all ended." - Frisk said seriously, making Noelle avert her gaze - "So just leave Gaster and his sweetheart alone. Can you do that?"  
Noelle knew she couldn't repeat the same mistake she once made. She had wanted to make Sam and Piper her children officially, which would've had as consequence to deprive Gaster from his parental rights. This had generated an argument which eventually led to put Noelle and Frisk in danger. It was true that it later permitted Flowey to become Asriel again, but more than one person almost died due to one foolish act. Noelle sighed and said:  
"You're right, Mom... I suppose leaving them be is the best thing to do."

But even though Noelle reasonably knew that her parents were right and that she should respect Gaster and Patty's privacy, she couldn't help but constantly be bugged by that new presence in her children's life. Noelle __absolutely__ wanted to know what kind of influence Patty was on her children and she was determined to find out! And so, despite her parents' advice, Noelle decided to go spy on Patty through the windows of Gaster's house. And so there she was, hiding in bushes of the garden and peeking in through the closed window. Noelle could faintly see Gaster browsing through the bookshelves, obviously looking for some good book. After her quick peek, Noelle lowered herself, so the skeleton wouldn't see her with the corner of his eye. Noelle decided to move to the next window, which normally would allow her to see the living room. After a discreet peek, Noelle saw that Patty had her back turned to the window. _"Good, she can't see me."_ \- Noelle thought as she dared to lift herself more. She could see that Patty was sitting on the couch, but she couldn't tell what the cat monster was doing. The tv was switched off, so Patty wasn't watching anything.  
"I wonder what she's doing..?" - Noelle muttered to herself.  
"enjoying the view, kid?"  
Noelle gasped and quickly knelt down. After a moment of being totally silent, she truned around to see that Sans was sitting against the wall behind her.  
"Sans... What are you doing here? " - Noelle whispered.  
"i return you the question."  
"I'm trying to know what kind of person Patty is." - Noelle replied - "Like... what does she do when the kids aren't home, and… And what are __you__ doing here, Sans?"  
"me? i was too curious how the woman who fell for gaster could possibly look like." - Sans said honestly - "so i decided i had to see her with my own eye."  
"Well, you won't see much from here. She has her back turned." - Noelle pointed out.  
"oh, but i already got to see her through the window on the other side." - Sans replied easily - "must say i was surprised. didn't expect a cute kitty like her would fall for a guy like gaster."  
"You saw her from the other side? Did you get to see what she's currently doing?"  
"yeah, i believe she's painting."  
"Painting..? Oh right, Gaster told me she's an artist." - Noelle said as she peeked in once more, before quickly lowering herself again - "Damn, Gaster's in the living room too now."  
"what are they doing?" - Sans asked.  
"I don't know, I hurried to hide..!" - Noelle replied, before carefully sneaking another peek - "The two are talking. And she… she's showing him her painting. It's yet unfinished, but it's pretty good..! Gaster seems to appreciate it too… Ugh, Patty's not making it easy for me, showing off her amazing skills…"  
"you mean you hoped to get a reason to hate her?" - Sans asked curiously - "told ya you're jealous."  
"It's not that..!" - Noelle protested.  
"uhh kid, i just realized we maybe should go." - Sans said with a suddenly worried tone - "we'll have to make up an excuse, since the cops may ask us what we were doing near the doc's house."  
"...Holy crap, the cameras!" - Noelle exclaimed, realizing she had completely forgot about the cameras that have been set up everywhere in the house.  
But then, Noelle put her hand over her mouth, realizing she's been too loud. She and Sans froze. Noelle then peeked through the window again and saw that Patty was now fully turned to face the window and that Gaster wasn't in sight. Before Noelle could process what that meant, she heard the backdoor open. The young woman knew for sure that she was screwed. She glanced behind her and saw, to her frustration, that Sans was nowhere to be seen. __"Damn you, Sans..."__ \- she thought. At that moment, Gaster showed up, anger clearly written on his face. He sent Noelle a very sharp look, which made her fully stand up on her shaky legs.  
"What is the meaning of this?" - Gaster demanded - "Why are you spying on us?"  
"Well, I... um..."  
Noelle was unable to provide an anwser. Because she knew perfectly that what she did was wrong, just like were her reasons. She didn't need to answer though, because Gaster had already guessed.  
"Don't say anything, I know. You refused to simply trust me when I said that Patty wasn't a threat to the children."  
"I just wanted to be sure that the kids are okay around her…" - Noelle tried to justify her action - "No offense to your beloved, but she has an insanity. And she might be not the best influence to the kid's developement."  
"Really? Like you should talk, miss teenage pregnancy." - Gaster replied harshly, making Noelle wince - "You're hypocrite, just like your uncle!"  
"Sans is not..."  
"Whatever, it's not about him now." - Gaster cut her off firmly - "But I think the real problem is that you're scared of the idea that another woman can grow close to your children. That Sam and Piper may start seeing her almost like a mother too."  
"Wait, are they?"  
"No, but you're clearly uncomfortable with the idea." - the skeleton then let out a sigh before pursuing - "Let me tell you something. If I could save Sam and Piper from Chara in time, it's thanks to Patty. She had heard their cry for help and rushed to inform me. And this, despite her mind being slow due to an unusual dose of medicine. Thanks to her, Sam and Piper are alive today. Do you still think Patty's not worthy to be around our children?"  
"I... I had no idea..." - Noelle lowered her gaze.  
"Of course you hadn't. And yet, you already started to expect the worse because you let your feelings cloud your judgement." - Gaster said - "Now, I highly recommand you to take your time to ponder on all this. As a man who made many mistakes, I'll give you an advice. Start by being fully honest with yourself. This should save you from some mistakes."  
With those words, Gaster left Noelle stand there speechless and ashamed. Once inside, Gaster saw that Patty left the living room. Guessing that she went upstairs, Gaster went to the bedroom. And here she was, sitting on the bed, crying quietly.  
"Maybe I should leave..." - Patty said - "I should leave your house."  
"What? No, this is your house too now." - Gaster repied as he sat next to Patty and wrapped an arm around her.  
"But Noelle doesn't like me, does she? She thinks I'm not good enough for your children as their… stepmom? Or whatever I'd be."  
"I think it's more like she thinks you're too good for them and the idea makes her jealous."  
"Jealous of… me? No, this is silly… Why would she, the Savior, be jealous of me?" - Patty asked with a sad chuckle.  
"Because you're amazing, Patty." - Gaster answered with honesty - "You are special in your own unique way. You're very kind and friendly, you have a creative mind, your painting skills are amazing, and your smile can brighten anyone's day. But most importantly… you make me feel complete."  
"Really? Do I really make you feel that way?"  
"You do." - Gaster nodded - "You made me discover feelings that were a total mystery to me before."  
The skeleton had a light blush on his cheekbones, and Patty's eyes shone, being moved by his words. The cat monster then smiled and hugged Gaster tightly. The latter returned the hug without hesitating. He liked to have her this close to him.  
"Thank you... I was really upset but your words already made me feel better." - Patty said with a slightly trembling voice.  
"I'm glad, because I meant every word." - Gaster replied as he tightened his embrace, then he breathed out - "I love you."  
Those three words came out by themselves without any prior thinking. Patty pulled away just enough so she could look into Gaster's eyes. She could tell by his look that he was a bit surprised by his own sudden confession. Patty smiled tenderly and said:  
"It's the first time you're saying it... You really do?"  
"...Yes. I do." - Gaster confirmed, his eyesockets glowing pink, yet a shadow of a smile visible on his face.  
"I love you too." - Patty replied before hugging her beloved skeleton again, and after a few moments she asked - "Can you say it again?"  
Gaster stiffened a little bit, probably out of a mild nervousness. He then gently pulled Patty away and said with a casual tone:  
"I think one time is enough."  
"What? No, I wanna hear it again!" - Patty protested - "Please? I liked the sound of it."  
"Well, if I say it too often, it won't sound as nice, will it?" - Gaster replied, his tone as casual.  
"But I need to hear it now. I'm still kinda sad." - Patty looked at him with big pleading eyes.  
Gaster looked at the woman for a few moments with an unimpressed expression. But then, he drew her closer to him, so their faces almost touched, and he whispered:  
"Insufferable cat."  
And then, he pressed his mouth against Patty's soft lips. The couple quickly let the kiss consume them and forgot about pretty much everything. The kiss was slow and tender, but soon grew more passionate. Gaster slid one of his hands into Patty's hair and as it brushed against the base of her ear, the contact elicied a small moan from the cat monster. It sounded so adorable, it made Gaster's SOUL swell. The skeleton used the opportunity to gently nibble Patty's lip. This made her squeeze his shoulders, as though she'd collapse if she didn't hold into him. Soon, Patty and Gaster had to break the kiss to catch their breaths. Their hands still resting on the other's shoulders, they looked into each other's eyes with a loving, yet a little shy, look. Gaster was the first to break the blissful silence, saying:  
"Was this... a decent replacement to your request?"  
"Yes... Yes, it was..." - Patty replied blushing, before adding with a smile - "For now."  
Gaster smiled genuinly in response. The desire to kiss her again hit him and so he leaned closer to her face. But before the couple could kiss again, a knock on the door got heard. Gaster turned his head to the door and said:  
"Yes? Come in."  
Piper opened the door and stepped in the room.  
"Mom is in the living room. She wants to talk to you both." - the girl informed - "She says she wants to apologize."  
"...Fine, we'll go down talk to her." - Gaster said with a sigh - "You and your brother go in your room meantime."  
"Okay. But what happened? Did Mom do something?" - Piper asked curiously, not having been told what Noelle needed to apologize for.  
"It's not important." - Gaster replied - "It's not something you must be worried about."  
Piper turned her gaze from her father to Patty, as though wordlessly asking if everything was really alright. Patty nodded lightly with her usual sweet smile. Piper then went out of the room and it took a moment for the two adults to do the same. As Gaster and Patty descended the stairs, they saw Noelle stand in the middle of the living room, looking guilty. Sam and Piper gave one last look of sympathy before going upstairs like their father had instructed. Once the adults were sure they were alone and couldn't be heard by the kids, Gaster said:  
"So. I believe you want to apologize."  
"Yes... An apology, as well as an explanation is in order..." - Noelle replied, fidgetting her fingers a little - "I know that what I did was very wrong. I shouldn't have spied you through windows, and my reasons can't justify this. I am very __very__ sorry, and I promise that I won't ever do something like this again. Please, forgive me."  
"I forgive you, Noelle. But I hope you do realize how insulting your action was." - Gaster said seriously - "You violated Patty's privacy and mine, because you were bugged by the idea that Patty's sharing our children's daily life."  
"I know... and I'm sorry." - Noelle looked down, then directed her gaze at the cat monster - "Patty, can I hope that we'd move on from this unpleasant incident and that we can have a more friendly start..? But if you can't forgive me, I understand."  
"It's alright, I forgive you." - Patty replied with a light smile - "I'd be only glad if you and I have a friendly relationship."  
"I'm glad you don't hold a grudge against me..." - Noelle said, letting out a stressed breath - "But I think I should explain you why I acted the way I did."  
"Oh, but you don't have to..." - Patty said reassuringly.  
"Please... Explaining is the best I can do to make it up for you." - Noelle stated - "Very recently, I went through a harsh experience. I... almost died."  
"I'm sorry."  
"It's all fine. This experience is one of the most important ones I went through. It permitted me to realize that, unlike I used to believe when I was younger, I am never alone. I have many people I can hold into at the most difficult times. After living all alone for many years, this realization meant the world to me. My parents, my children, me… we all started to live like a normal family. Then yesterday, when I saw that there's another woman in my children's lives, a part of me got scared. I got scared that I'd lose those it took me a lot of effort to fight for."  
"But you're not losing them. Not ever." - Patty said, as she gently laid her hand on Noelle's shoulder - "They are your children, and you are their mother. Nothing can change that, not even some lunatic like me."  
Patty had said the last part with a smile and an amused tone, which made Noelle chuckle. But then she looked down and sighed:  
"And yet, when I saw you interact so nicely, I couldn't help but be a little jealous. You're so friendly, and so I felt like I wasn't a that good mother. Because I gave them up once, right after giving birth to them, I still feel like another woman would do a better job."  
"Noelle... You made a mistake, but you fixed it the best you could." - Gaster then said gently - "You are a very good mother. You may not be perfect, yet you're irreplaceable for Sam and Piper. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."  
Noelle smiled at Gaster. She knew that he was right. She also knew that she had acted stupidly and that she still had one issue to work on. She needed to fully forgive herself. Well, Noelle mostly did already. She just had to alleviate some of the weight she was giving to her guilt. As she wished goodnight to Gaster and Patty, Noelle opened the front door to leave the house. But before she exited, Noelle turned around and said, pointing at the canvas lying on the coffee table:  
"Oh, and... nice painting."  
"Thank you, but it's not even finished yet." - Patty replied with a light blush.  
"And still, it's already pretty." - Noelle said with a smile - "You really are an artist."  
Patty nodded in gratitude, and Noelle left the house closing the door behind her. Noelle was walking back home feeling much lighter inside, and thought there was yet one thing left to do. She had to find a way to get back at Sans.

* * *

**A/N: Exploring the idea of Noelle finding out about Patty was a very appealing one. Due to her previous life experience, of course she'd get mildly jealous, especially that Patty is a so lovely person! Luckily, that was short lived. Noelle never gets jealous for very long. ^^**

**To make myself clear, I am not bashing on girls going through teenage pregnancy, nor am I mocking the issue. I think it's an actual issue and that the girls who live it must get all the support they need, and that we must do our best to prevent such cases. When Gaster calls Noelle "miss teenage pregnancy", it's just his sarcastic way to tell her that she's not exactly the perfect model for the kids either. **


End file.
